Water-heater.



WATER-HEATER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Got. 21, 1913.

Application filed November 23, 1912. Serial No. 733,105.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, STUART ELLIS, a citizenof the United States, residing at Washington, in the District ofColumbia, have invented new and useful Improvements in VVater-Heaters,of which the following is a specification.

This invention is, more particularly, an improvement upon thewater-heating de vices shown and described in United States Patents Nos.864,760 and 1,026,013.

The object is to provide means to direct the hot products of combustioninto contact with the water-pipe to be heated, and, to this end, theinvention contemplates the provision of peculiar guide-plates, for thepurpose specified.

Another object is to provide a valve operable, when the hot water isbeing withdrawn from the boiler (or other liquid-containing tank) inconnection with which my heating-apparatus is used, to automaticallycontrol the inlet of cold water to the boiler, through the water-heater,whereby the volume or flow of cold water passing to the boiler isappreciably diminished or decreased, so that the hot water in the boilermay not be unduly 0r undesirably chilled.

To this end, the invention consists in the provision of a peculiar formof valve, normally seated at the bottom of the waterpipe to be heated,and in the region of the burner; said valve subserving the additionalfunction of causing the cold water entering the water-pipe to be spreadout in a thin sheet, so as to be more quickly heated by the burner.

Subsidiary objects of improvement will appear as the specificationproceeds and the nature of the invention more fully appears.

In the accompanying drawings, forming part of the specification, and inwhich like numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts throughoutthe several views: Figure I is a perspective View of my heatingapparatus; Fig. II is a central, vertical section thereof, on anenlarged scale; Fig. III is a perspective detail view of my peculiarvalve.

Referring, now, in detail to the drawings: 1 represents or designates acasing or drum, which may be suitably secured, at'the lower end thereof,to a skeleton or spiderlike base 2, and closed at the top in anysuitable manner, as by a cap 3. Interiorly of the drum,

and preferably concentric therewith, is a tube 4, screw-threaded at bothends, as shown. On the top and bottom of said tube 4 are screwed,respectively, caps 5 and 6, having threaded apertures therethrough, 7,8, for connection with pipes leading, respectively, to the upper andlower ends of a boiler (not shown), or the like.

Inside the drum 1 and seated upon the skeleton base 2 is a burner,designated, generally, by 9, of peculiar construction, with whichcommunicates, in a peculiar manner, an air-mixer or carburetor 10, alsoof peculiar construction. The shape of the burner is, as shown,preferably annular in horizontal cross section; and the burner isprovided, internally, with a concentric, ver tical diaphragm or wall 10,between which and the outer wall of the burner is a cham ber 11, annularin horizontal cross section. The diaphragm 10 is provided with asymmetrically disposed series of vertical slots 12, which are parallelwith and in juxtaposition to the tube 4, so that the hot products ofcombustion from the burner 9 are shot and impinge directly against thetube 4, insuring a rapid heating thereof and of the water passingtherethrough. As shown, the slots 12 extend, by preference, from the topto the bottom of the diaphragm 10. The burner may be held in properposition, with respect to the tube 4, in any suitable manner, preferablyby vertical ribs 13 carried by, the diaphragm 10.

In order readily to ignite the gas passin through the slots 12, the drum1 is provided with a door 18, which, by preference, extends the entirelength thereof, and is conveniently hinged at one end, as at 1%), to thedrum, and maintained in normal closed position by a latch 20.

Interiorly of the tube 4, and normally resting against the bottom of thecap 6, is

a valve 21, which is, desirably, a hollow cylinder, closed at thetop, asat 22, said top being provided with a vent 23. The valve terminates, atthe bottom, in depending, spaced feet 24, which rest normally againstthe bottom of the cap 6. 'The valve 21 is of slightly less diameter thanthe tube 4,

so that it fits loosely therein, and is thus capable of verticalreciprocation therein. One of the purposes in constructing the valve asa cylinder is to compel the water entering through the opening 8 to flowbe tween the feet 24 and between the valve 21 and the tube 4 in a thinsheet, so that the water is readily and quickly heated by the burner.Normally, as stated, the valve occupies a position at the bottom of thetube l; but, when water is being withdrawn from the boiler, the pressureand considerable volume of water through the inlet 8 will lift the valvefrom its seat on the cap 6 and raise it until it bears against the cap 5at the top of the tube d, thereby cutting oil escape of water from thetube 4, except through the small vent 23 in the valve. The valve isshown in such raised position in Fig. This will prevent a great excessof cold water ontering the boiler, while the warm water therein is beingwithdrawn, and, by this means, appreciable chilling of the water in theboiler is obviated; When the operation of drawing off a quantity of warmwater from the boiler ceases, the valve 22 drops back, by gravity, toits normal position upon the cap 6. it will thus be seen that the member22 s'ubse-rves a dual function,l, that of a valve, and, 2, that ofspreading out the water in a thin sheet, so as to be quickly heated.

lnteriorly of the drum 1 and at a point somewhere above the burner 9, Iprovide a d'efl'eoting-member, which, in this instance, takes the form.of a truncated cone, formed, desirably, in two segmental sections orhalves, one section 25 being secured to, or formed integral with, thedoor 18, and the other section 26 being secured to the drum 1, and thetwo sections constituting lips. T he top rim 27 of the lips is somewhatremoved from the tube t, so that there is an escape of the hot productsof combustion between this rim and the tube 5 The function of these lips25, 26, as is obvious, is to guide or direct th hot products ofcombustion in the direction of the tube a, so as to strike thereagainstbefore they pass through the lips 25, 2e.

Near the top 3 of the drum 1, l desirably provide a horizontal plate orshelf 27, which projects into the drum 1 from one side thereof andextends to and terminates at the tube at (as shown in 2). The functionof this plate 27 is to obstruct the passage of the hot gases, and causethem to flow into contact with the tube 4, before they escape throughthe exit 28 arovided at the top of the drum 1, above the plate 27.

While 1 have described, with great particularity, a particularembodiment of my invention susceptible of carr ing out the underlyingprinciples thereof, 1 am aware that many changes and modifications maybe made; but all such changes and modifications as fall within the termsof the appended claims constitute no departure from the spirit of theinvention.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desireto secure by Letters-Patent of the United States is:

1. In a heating apparatus, the combination with a water-tube providedwith an inlet end and an exit end, of a reciprocable cylindrical memberfitting loosely within said tube, whereby water entering the latter isspread out in a thin stream between said tube and member and therebyquickly ;heated, said member being provided with a v vented top andbeing normally seated, at the I opposite end thereof, at the inlet endof said tube, and heating means for said tube disposed in the region ofsaid inlet-end thereof.

2. In a heating apparatus, the combinaition with a water-tube providedwith an in- ;let end and an exit end, of a reciprocable cylindricalmember loosely fitting within isaid tube, whereby water entering thelatter is spread out in a thin stream between said tube and member andthereby quickly heated, said member being n'ovided with a iventcd topand being provided, at the other end thereof, with spaced feet, and saidmemher being normally seated at the inlet-end of :said tube, and heatingmeans for said tube ,disposed in the region of said inlet-end lthereof.

3. In aheating apparatus, the combinajtion with a water-tube, of heatingmeans for ,said tube disposed toward the lower end ithereot, a druminclosing said water-tube, a

{door hinged to said drum, and a two-section ttruncated cone-shapedmember disposed in lsaid drum above said heating-means one of isaidsections being carried by said door and @the other of said sections bysaid drum.

' 4t. In a heating apparatus, the combination with a water-tube, ofheating means for said tube disposed toward the lower end thereot, adrum inclosing said water-tube, a door hinged to said drum, atwo-sectiontruncated cone-shaped member disposed in said drum. above said heatingmeans, one of the other of said sections by said drum, and a partitiondisposed above said cone-shaped member and projecting into said drumfrom one side thereof and extending to and terminating at saidwater-tube.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set "my hand in presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

STUART ELLIS;

Witnesses: p E. T. BnANnnNBUr-n,

CLARA D. INGRAM.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents" each, byaddressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washingtbn, D. C.

said sections being carried by said door and

